Improvement in fifth-wheels for carriages



W. A. J'UHNSUN.

Fifth Wheels for Carriages.

' No.153,5 71. v Patentedluly28,1874.

Wit finesse 4 Ira/010601 I saumnxpuczmx UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. JOHNSON, OF OXFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HISRIGHT TO H. V. FAIRLAMB, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIFTH-WHEELS FOR CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,571, dated July 28,1874; application filed April 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. JOHNSON, ofOxford, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and Improved Fifth Wheel for Carriages and Wagons; and Ido hereby declare the follow ing to be a full and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming partof this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved fifth-wheel; and Fig. 2 is a top-plan View of the lower segmentor circle, the upper portion being removed.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote thesame parts.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction offifth-wheels for carriages and wagons, whereby the same are renderedmore efficient in their operation than those now in use. To this end theinvention consists in providing the lower segment or circle with aseries of conical rollers arranged in radial lines from the center ofthe wheel. so as to bear uniformly upon the working face of the uppersegment or circle of the wheel.

In the employment of conical rollers arranged in the manner proposed Iproceed upon the correctmechanical and scientific principle that whereone part moves in the arc of a circle the rollers should be soconstructed that a vertical plane coincident with the axis of therollers, or tangential to either side of them, will be radial to thecircle of rotation of the moving part. By this means every part of themoving surface that bears upon the rollers will pass across their facesin the direct line of their rotation, thus avoiding all scraping orwearing motion, causing the parts to run with less friction, andrendering them less liable to be cramped, displaced, or broken than ifthe rollers were simply made cylindrical in shape.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the axle of a carriage or wagon, andB is the lower segment of the fifth-wheel secured thereto. C is thebolster, D the tongue, and E the upper segment of the fifth-wheel, theselatter parts being pivoted to the axle by the kingbolt F, in the usualmanner. Instead of making the fifth-wheel of segments or arcs, Isometimes form them in a complete circle, for use on express-wagons. G Gare large openings cast or otherwise formed directly through the lowerportion B of the fifth-wheel, and H are the conical rollers journaledwithin such openings, so as to occupy radial lines from the center ofthe wheel. The rollers project sufliciently above the face of the lowersegment to bear against the working face of the upper segment, and,owing to their form and arrangement, move along the upper segment, whenthe axle or bolster is turned, in the direct line of their rotation.

By this construction and arrangement all scraping and cramping betweenthe upper segment and rollers are prevented, and the friction of theseparts reduced to the minimum.

Any proper number of the conical rollers may be employed, according tothe size and weight of the fifth-wheel, as willbe readily understood.

The openin gs G are extended entirely through the lower segment, and aresufficiently large to permit dust and dirt to pass through them to theground, and thus prevent the clogging of the rollers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A fifth-wheelfor carriages and wagons, having its lower circle provided with conicalrollers -placed in radial lines from the center of the wheel, so as tomove along the face of the upper segment in the direct line of theirrotation, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The fifth-wheel consisting of the upper circle E, the lower circle B,and the conical rollers H, placed radially within enlarged verticalopenings G in the lower circle, substantially as described, for thepurpose specified.

WM. A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

M. E. KERR, F. O. HUToHIsoN.

